Art of treating plastic materials such as rubber



ART OF TREATING PLASTIC MATERIALS SUCH AS RUBBER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1949 1951 J. c. CLINEFELTER 2,576,444

ART OF TREATING PLASTIC MATERIALS SUCH AS RUBBER Filed March 29, 1949 I: Sheets-Sheet 2 65 Tlzi.

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1951 J. c. CLINEFELTER 2,576,444

ART OF TREATING PLASTIC MATERIALS SUCH AS RUBBER Filed March 29, 1949 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Tlz b.

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ATT RNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1 951 IITJED 2,575,444 t ARTOFHREA ING PLAS'I'I'CTMATERI'ALS' SUCH AS RUBBER James-LC. Clineielten-Akr'on; Ohio ApplicatianMarems, 1949, Serial N6: 84,221"

13- Claimsi (o1. 260 :767

1 V v a The present invention rel'ates'to' the art of adaptable for small plant operations, -which -can p p p nacompoun a d shapingbe="ca;-rried-out 'efiiciently and continuously-' -by such plastic materials asrubberstockflnatural the use of comparatively small-inexpensiveunits y C)-' requiring substantially-less time cyclesthan -is':

One-of the "first operations 'carried' out "in the requir ed by the us'e' =of 'conventional mills and-: utilization of solid rubber'stock such as-=crepe mixers, which is adapted to prepare+-comparasheets; involves the physical *plastici zation of' tively-sm'al-lquantities-pf the rubber-substance this stock by --'a kneading-- orbreaki-ng': down at anyone periodfi thereby producing intimately process'; This process *consis'ts mainly in sub m'ixe'd'; uniformlydisper'sed compositions of unijecting the rubber to severe mechanical shearing form physicat characteristics" throughout the stress to render: the rubber I softer and more mass; wl-i'i'ch can'be easily carried outl' to' permit' readily deformable and: to lrnpr'ove its adaptthe-*composition and physical characteristics oi ability" for compounding, mixing and shaping: successive quantities 0f the product -to beac-'-='- Mills and internal mixers, suchas the Banbury, curately duplicated in-succe'ssive operations? and are commonly used for physical p1asticiza'tiorr-- "which" does-not"produce high '-temperaturesex-'-' and-for other preparatory'work-on rubber stock? ceedingthe curing temperature =-of the com These 1 apparatuse's,-- and especially 'thennternal 1i pounds involved; thereby "permitting the use of mixers are expensive and massive" and ar'e d-' curing "agents in initial mixing operations-iv signed to operate intermittently onlarge -batches,-* A fiirther obj ect is to -provide a newand imso that --it hasfbeenl clifiic'ult 'or impossible for proved apparatus-*frcarrying out'the'improved' the working-elements to effe'ctuniform' intimate physical plasticizing, compoundingand/or-mi-X contact between all the particles'throughout'the ing pro'cessabove described; massz It-isfwellknown that 'each'increase-*in Stillanother object is to provide a composite: batch 'size hasresulteclin a sacrifice of funl article-inan-intermediate-'-stage of ma',nufaci',ure',+

formity iii-the distributionof'the chemicals? of 125 comprising" mechanically worked-- rubber and the-'quality'of the particle dispersion; and or compounding agents,' shaped, combined and reuniformity of physical plasticiz'ationt .Atlsc'i;the* lat'd in a new 'and improvedmanneryto permit' degree of uniformityfinthe gauge or-size-of tha the --comparative1y inexpensive -and expeditious calendere'd or extruded *compouifd varies as t manufacture' of "the article by comparatively degree of -uniformity in" the plajstlbity of -'th'e srnalf apparatus '--'u nits; and to' perrniVthe' easy' rubbefcontenti handling of said articlefor'*subsequent' prepai a lvlo'reover; these preparatory operations? tion orforstorage; 7 through 'conventional" mills and "miner's," have'-- In carrying out certain fatures'ofthe presentbeen'expensive' as'to power requirements due to'-" invention, the raw" or crud mai'ieiial' i'lo'li p o thsi'zesof the batch esoperated' up'on at 'one 'ss es'sed, and'particularly"rubber, is'extrudedinf time; Also, actions'ofthe mill'sandiniiiersfand' predetermined form: and a' measured quantity especially" in the case of the"internalfmixersj ofcompounding agent or agents is added therehave been so 'severe*and'-vio1iit "as" tdrequire*- along and retained therewith in undis'tributed them;' to" be rebuilt and repaired' quite-ipften. form until'ready'to be mixed with 'and-di'stributed This-violent actionbn' alargebatch alsd-h "40 throughout therubber1' More specifically, the=-- theeffect'0f' generatingsuchhigh temperatureesolidrubbr stock'is advanced "in an"'-apparatus;.:

as to make 'it necessary to omit 'curing agents, desirably in the general form of anextruder-and such as sulphur and/o'r l aceelerator from th is physically plasticized before extrusion toiriibatch, while the preliminary mixingoperation prove its adaptability for "compounding-mixing is "being carried out and to make it-necessary116 15-and' subsequent shaping; After receiving-this add these agents in subsequent"mlll miiting z preliminary"plasticizing-'treatment' anddesirably:-

operations." 4 before extrusion, a measuredamount' offcom- One object of the present lnvention is to-"pi'oa pounding material; desirablyi1'ic1udi1ig-"tlie=ei1r vide=new"'and improved'proce'ss and"app'aratus in'g age'nts, is"*continuously added to the rubberforpreparing, compounding'and'shaping'plasti' -whilein transit, so that the extruded rubbermaterials,"- and" particularly rubber stock. wil-1="have-unif6rm amounts of f thecompoundifiig Another object is to provide 'anew' 'andirn material heterogeneously' associated therewitl i proved" process f6r 'physicall'y: plasti cizingy" comper unit length of extruded rubber? pounding and 'mixing pla'stic" materialsl 'partiu-" As a further featur'eyth'e incorporation of 'tli I lai'lyiubber'stock}which is eas1l and mamma measured amounts of compoundi'ng-agents into- 3 the rubber in the first stage is effected by continuously extruding the rubber in this first stage as a tube and continuously feeding the compounding agents into the interior of said tube as a filling while said rubber is being extruded.

The resulting extruded rubber tube with the compounding agents incorporated therein can be stored until ready for further processing or may be subjected directly and continuously after the preliminary treatment described to a second treating stage, in which this extruded rubber tube as it is formed is directly fed into a second extruder or mixing unit for dispersing the compounding agents thoroughly throughout the mass of rubber and for further working said mass into a plasticized state. The rubber in this second stage will have the compounding agents thoroughly and uniformly dispersed therein and may be delivered in final die shape or passed through a calendar for sheeting or fabric impregnation purposes. If desired, or if found necessary, according to the size of the extruder or working unitsemployed, the rubber mix of this second stage may be subjected to subsequent working and mixing stages before giving it final shape on treatment.

As another alternative, the compoundin agents may be added in two stages. Thus, in the first extruder unit, part only of the compounding agents may be heterogeneously added continuously to the extruded rubber in measured equal quantities per unit length of extruded rubber. The resulting product may then be thoroughly mixed in a second similar extruder unitand as itis extruded therefrom, more or the. rest of the compounding agents may be heterogeneously added continuously in measured equal quantities per unit length of the extruded rubber. The product formed in this second stage can be stored away or directly mixed in a third unit in preparation for final shaping.

Instead of depending on huge expensive machinery to prepare the rubber compound, and instead of preparing this compound intermittently in large batches, the process of the present invention may be made continuous and may be made to work on comparatively small quantities of rubber, allowing thereby intimate contact between and thorough intermixture of the particles in the small volume of the compound being prepared. The improved machinery results in economies in the processing of rubber and in speeding; up production.

Various other objects features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a part of a plasticizing, compounding and extruding machine which can be employed to carry out the preliminary stage of the present process and which embodies certain structural features, of the Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there provided a compounding machine I for carrying outthe preliminary steps of preparing the ber I8 into which the physically plasticized rubber is discharged before extrusion, The structure for forming this delivery chamber I8 may be of any suitable design, but for purposes of illustration, it is shown comprising a fitting I9 screwed to the cylinder housing I4 and closed at its outer end by a screw plug 20.

v The physical plasticizing part of the extruder machine III is desirably of the improved type shown in my prior Patent No. 2,291,212. To that end, the two chambers I3 and I8 are separated by a perforated partition device 2 I serving as a subdividing head by which the material is forced through openings in said partition device in stream or rod-like form andsevered by the delivery end of the feed device, in the manner about to be described, to form a multitude of com--. paratively small bits which merge in the delivery chamber l8 into a conglomerate mass.

The perforated partition device 2I is clamped between the fitting I9 and the delivery end 22 of the cylinder housing I4 and comprises a circular screen 23, desirably of wire woven construction, anda fiat circular perforated backing plate 24.

As more fully shown and described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,291,212, there is provided in that part of the chamber I3 between the perforated partition deviceZI and the conveyor screw I I an impeller or wiper blade 26 secured to the delivery end of said screw and arranged to rotate therewith. This impeller 26 is designed to push the material from the screw I I through the partition device 2I and into the delivery chamber IS with sufiicient force to maintain the material in said delivery chamber Moreover, this impeller 26, with its blade-like edges in close proximity to the roughor irregular surface of the screen 23, acts to shear off the ma. terial that has already passed through its perforations, thus severing it from the rest of the batch which continuously follows. As the impeller 26 continuously imparts a rotary movement to the massin addition to a forward pushing movement, it will be seen, that after every severance,

at a given perforation, the material next pushed parts of the rubber mass will result.

The action of the wiper blade 26 in conjunctioniwith the perforated partition'device 2| is to an outward flare or expanding bore 28 near its Y.

delivery end and the impeller 26 is correspondingly shaped for the purpose indicated in the aforesaid patent. r

The extrusion head fitting I9 is shown approximately in the form of a T having a lateral tubular outlet 40- into which is mounted an exunder extrusion pressure.

threads and having-a cylindrical throat determin ing'tl'ie-oute'rcross section ofthe tube extrudedthrough said die1- This die holder 42in'turn'is suppor-ted'in the extrusion outlet 40 and against a'shoulde'r-near one end of..'saidoutlet by anut 43 th readed -into-the lower end of said outlet:

In-order to-reduce to'a minimum pressure 'los-- se's in thedelivery chamber 18, this chamber instead-of being in the angular. shape shown may be designed -to-afiord streamline direct flow from Y the outlet side of the partitiondevice 2| to the- Befdrenthe mass of rubberis extruded through the '-%die 4 the {premixed compounding agentsj desirably in subdivided solid form; are co'ntinu-' ously-associatedtherewith in measured quantities; so -that'- predetermined uniform amounts 'ofthese agents are heterogeneously combined with the extrudedrubber strcam' per unit length of this rubber lstream. To that end,' there'isprovided-ahopper' 45 shown in the form of a funnel extending substantially vertically through the deliverychamber l8,- and having its discharge end-46 terminating adjacent the inlet end of the throat of-theidi'e fl in position concentric -there-' with.- This'hopper 45has its'largerfiaring vessel ormouth end 41 threaded into an opening in themachine during operationsor it may be positivev lyiadvanceddownwardly "(or horizontally in: the

case'ofa'horiz'ontal feed tube)v by means of..a feed screw50 extending Iinto said hopper and having an upper shafti'extension'fl by :which said 'feed screw 'may be driven; This feed "screw shaft extensionfl is 'shown journalled in a bearing 52- afiiiied :toi axbracket (not"shown) which is'se-' cured to'the frame of the machine and 'isdriven" thro'ugh 'a 'rope' drive comprising a rope pulley 54 'at-the -upp'erend of said shaft extension.

The upper vessel section 41 of the hopper 45 hasJa conicalbore"56 tapering downwardly towards atcyiindrical-bore 51"formed in 'alower tu'be -extension fl'of said hopper. Thefed screw SIrJ-fitsem thiS bore-1'51 somewhat snugly' but withcharge'fend :46 10f the. hopper "tube 58 extends partlyiinto the :upper' section of'the die '4 I, concentrically. therewith as previously described, to'

fornrta core for :said die. 60--of thezhopper tube 58 tapers downwardly towardsdthe' upper section "6! or mouth of thebore oflr'said Idie; and this upperdie boresection 'BI' The external surface is Lflared :"to define'with' said tapering tube surface 603 a contracting mouth for the die.

Thei'compounding agentsB are "premixed beforefubeing discharged into *the 'hopperr45 and may comprise such well-known ingredientsas" fillersfand reinforcing agents; *softenersfacceleratorsx'and sulphur! the-compounding agents B therein; 1 The fllle as sa-id tube is foinie At th'e meginning orsegzn tru'di ng operations, the i extruded end H of t e. rubber tube isli'des-irably pinched; as shown fdrexample at a;=tci clo'se said tube and to retain} tub h wiu thenbe discharged continuously 'fro them'ach neand-may be subjected to subsequent processingimmediateiythereafteras it isibeing; produced or may be stored until required to be thick nes's -or gauge of the tubular ex' truda-te y be controlled-while the machineiso'p'er'atin tymrningthe adjusting head on mehopi er- 45 to' val y the axial position' of the with 'respe'ct tolthe die 4 I If desired; and ii round necessary; the machine: lflinalybe provided with suitable meansrc'r con: trolling the temperature of the rubber while-it "-is' blingwvorked andmove'd forward inthe workin'g chamber l 3, while it' is flowing in the dlivl y charn-ber I 8 ii and/ or-=while y it is being "extruded"? thi en ree die-M or that purpose, suitabld iackets (not shown) may be provided around ample?crepe sheets is reduced in size in orderthat-annuities or inlet ena rsxrn. 3) of theunit 9 Etnay receive the particles or strips"easily; These rubber stock particles' or strips may 'be partially compounded as {for example, they may contain 'carbon black and oils' added in' previo'us operations on mills} or i internal mixers and the particles may-be forrned by machines such pelletizers. Iii-the case-*of synthetic' -rubber's', these may come in crumb form partially 'com pounded 'and 'suitable for initial feeding operations. Theunit l0 "will'physica'lly plasticize'and m-i x lie-rubber sto'ck- (naturalor synthetic) and will produc'e the =extrude d rubber' tube 'A-"con' taining' the right proportions of chemicals throughout its length, as described. The rubbertubular extrudate A stufied with the compounding' agentg Binay be transferredto storage until required for subsequent preparation; as above statedf or 'it may f'be paiss'ed' directlyfrom the unit lfl 'into a' sec'ond unitGfiiFig: 2)"- for addi-r, tional 'plasticizing,complete dispersion and final shape extru'sion; as shown in"'Ffg. 3L .From'this' 1 last JIIiit'f the Ith'o'roughly' mixed :mass may be extrudedin finalzldi'e shape, as for example, as a thin wall tubeac; ormay be discharged from "v saidiunit in condition for final treatment in some other devicey uas fors example, :a calendar where sheeting or impregnation may be effected' oruats i a preparation for molded products.

This second'unit 65 is desirably anextruder of the improved'typeshown in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,291,212 to assure thorough mixing" and blending of the particles of the preparation= or-' product A; B; and, as shown in Fig.2, comprises in-general'afeed screw 10 in a chamber H oper at'ed froma suitable drive 12 (Fig. 3) andadapted to advance this preparation from afeed station 73 through'a partition device M, similar in all'i respects'to the partition device 2| of Fig. 1. An I impeller or wiper blade 15, connected to the deliverysend 'ofthe feed screw 10 and located in an exp'anded bore 16, functions in the manner" fully set forth-in the aforesaid patent, namely to v forcethevmaterial through thetwire screen of the partition deviceu'ldandshear on. the matefirst and, second operating stages and a third unit like, unit 65 may be provided for the third operating stage, all as shown in Fig. 4. With this arrangement, a partof the compounding agents,

as,for example, one half, would be supplied to each of the units to produce at the outlet of the second unit, an extruded tube of rubber D having part of the compounding agents E dispersed throughout the body thereof, and having the other part as a filling for said tube. product D, E so constituted may be supplied to the third machine 65 for final processing, mixing and shaping.

As a further alternative shown in Fig. 5, where the rubber is to be heavily loaded with compounding agent in the initial stage, a first unit lilisprovided to form a thin walled extruded Therubber tube A containing all of the compounding agents B in the hollow thereof. This product is-delivered to a second unit 65 which will deliver the product in any desired form into the throat ofa second, but final shaping, unit 65.

The: product, as it is delivered from one unit to another in any of the staged combinations described, may be exposed for purposes of inspection.

While the invention has been describedwith particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims: 5;

What is claimed is: i

1. A rubber treating process, comprising the steps of continuously kneading and breaking down rubber stock to physically plasticize it, simultaneously advancing said rubber stock towards and through an extrusion die to form a continuous tube of said rubber stock, continuous- 1y feeding a'compounding agent or agents into said tube'as it is extruded in sufficient amount to fill completely the tube, and mixing the resulting composite product to effect dispersion of said compounding agent or agents throughout the mass of rubber.

2. A rubber treating process, comprising the steps :of continuously kneading and breakin down rubber stock to physically plasticize it, simultaneously advancing said rubber stock-towards andthrough an extrusion die to form a continuous tube of said rubber stock, continuously feeding a compounding agent orv agents into saidtube as it is extruded in sufficient amount to fill completely the tube, and passing the resulting composite product through an extrusion unit to effect dispersion of said compounding agent or agents throughout the mass of rubber.

3. A rubber treating and shaping process, comprising the steps of continuously kneading and breaking down rubber stock to physically plasticize it, simultaneously advancing said rubber stock towards and through an extrusion die to form a continuous tube of said rubber stock, continuously feeding a compounding agent or agents into said tube as it is extruded in sufficientamount to fill completely the tube, then mixing, kneading and breaking down the resulting com posite product to physically plasticize it and to efiect dispersion of, said compounding agent or agents throughout the mass of rubber, and simultaneously advancing the resulting plasticized mixture towards and through an extrusion die to form a finally shaped product.

4. A rubber treating process, comprising the steps of continuously kneading and breaking down rubber stock to physically plasticize it, simultaneously advancing said rubber stock 1307, wards and through an extrusion die to form a continuous tube of saidrubber stock, continuously feeding into said tube some of the required compounding agent or agents as said tube is extruded in sufilcient amount to fill completely the tube, mixing the resulting composite product to effect dispersion of said compounding agent or agents throughout the mass of rubber, extruding the resulting mixture as a continuous tube, and. continuously feeding into said latter tube more;

of the compounding agent or agents as said latter tube is extruded in sufficient amount to 1! completely the latter tube.

5. A machine for processing plastic materia comprising, in combination, a working chamber, a delivery chamber, an extrusion die in the general form of a ring on the discharge side of said delivery chamber having a throat section determining theouter cross-section of the material extruded therefrom, a, screw in said working chamher for advancing crude plastic material alon said working chamber towards and through said. delivery-chamber, and a hopper in said deliverychamber having a tube at its discharge end extending into the inlet end of said throat substantially centrally therewith and forming a core for said extrusion die, whereby said plastic material is extruded through said die as a continuous tube,

said hopper being adapted to deliver a compound:

' ing agent into said tube as it is extrudedzthrough said die.

6. A machine for processing plastic material 2 according to claim .5, comprising a perforated partition device separating said working and de-- livery chambers, said screw being adaptedto" force said plastic material through said partition device and into said delivery chamber and carrying at its forward end an impeller in cutting lationship with said partition device.

7. In combination, a first machine for trusion die, means for masticating' said crude of plastic material.

8.- The combination according to claim 7, wherein said second machine comprises a working chamber having an inlet near one end for receiving said composite product and a discharge near its other end, a feed screw in said chamber forfadvancing the-composite productfrom said inlet towards said discharge, and means for mixing the plastic material andthe compounding PIOC! 1 essing plastic material comprising an extrusion die, means for advancing crude plastic material from a feed station towards and through said exagent and further masticating the plastic material while in transit between said inlet and said discharge.

9. In combination, a first extrusion machine for processing plastic material comprising means for extruding plastic material as a continuous tube, and means for continuously feeding into said tube as it is extruded a compounding agent, and a second extrusion machine for mixing the resulting composite product to effect dispersion of said compounding agent throughout the mass of plastic material and for extruding the mixed product.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said second extrusion machine comprises a working chamber having an inlet near one end for receiving said composite product and a discharge near its other end, a final shaping die at said discharge end, a feed screw in said working chamber for advancing the composite product from said inlet towards said die, and means for mixing the plastic material and the compounding agent while in transit between said inlet and said discharge.

11. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said second extrusion machine comprises means for extruding the mixture as a continuous tube, and means for feeding a compounding agent into said tube as it is extruded.

12. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said second extrusion machine comprises an extrusion die, a feed screw for advancing the composite product towards said extrusion die, a perforated member in the flow path of said product beyond the delivery end of the feed screw, and an impeller connected to the delivery end of said feed screw and defining one or more blade edges in cutting relation to said perforated member to cut 011 at intervals the product passing through the perforations in said member.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein said feed screw is operable in a cylindrical chamber having its delivery end adjacent said perforated member flaring towards said member, said impeller being of similar general flaring outline.

JAMES C. CLIN'EFELTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 876,755 Webb Jan. 14, 1908 1,260,321 Bulley Mar. 26, 1918 1,607,626 Hopkinson Nov. 23, 1926 1,730,638 Young Oct. 8, 1929 1,849,291 Gordon Mar. 15, 1932 1,978,163 Megow Oct. 23, 1934 2,152,311 Jacobson Mar. 28, 1939 2,291,212 Clinefelter July 28, 1942 2,319,859 Hale May 25, 1943 2,422,480 Gordon June 17, 1947 

1. A RUBBER TREATING PROCESS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY KNEADING AND BREAKING DOWN RUBBER STOCK TO PHYSICALLY PLASTICIZE IT, SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCING SAID RUBBER STOCK TOWARDS AND THROUGH AN EXTRUSION DIE TO FORM A CONTINUOUS TUBE OF SAID RUBBER STOCK, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A COMPOUNDING AGENT OR AGENTS INTO SAID TUBER AS IT SI EXTRUDED IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO FILL COMPLETELY THE TUBE, AND MIXING THE RESULTING COMPOSITE PRODUCT TO EFECT DISPERSION OF SAID 